Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport

Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, also known as Agartala Airport,[4][5][6][7] (IATA: IXA, ICAO: VEAT) is a domestic airport 12 kilometres (7 miles) northwest of the city of Agartala, the capital of the state of Tripura in India. It is administered by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).[8] It is the second busiest airport in North East India after Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport and 29th busiest airport in India.

Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport
Side view of the terminal building
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesAgartala, Tripura, India
LocationSingerbhil
Elevation AMSL14 m / 47 ft
Coordinates23°53′24″N 091°14′32″E
Websitewww.aai.aero/en/airports/agartala
Map
IXA
Location of IXA in India
IXA
IXA (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 2,286 7,500 Asphalt
Statistics (April 2020 - March 2021)
Passengers577,085 (61.7%)
Aircraft movements5,063 ( 54.5%)
Cargo tonnage2,002 (57.0%)
Source: AAI[1][2][3]

History

The airport was designed and built in 1942 by the then Maharaja of Tripura, Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarman. It had one primary runway, 05/23, which is now used as a taxiway to Runway 18/36.

During World War II, the airport was used by the 4th Combat Cargo Group (4th CCG) of the United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force, flying Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft over Burma.[9]

The 4th CCG operated from the airport during December 1944 and January 1945, after which it moved to Chittagong.

The airport experienced international operations when Indian Airlines flew to Dhaka-Tejgaon Airport and Khulna in East Pakistan/Bangladesh from Agartala.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Air IndiaDelhi,[10] Kolkata[11]
IndiGoBangalore, Delhi, Guwahati, Imphal, Kolkata, Shillong

Accidents and incidents
  • 7 June 1970: A Fokker F27 of Indian Airlines flying with 34 passengers and 4 crew members overran the runway at Agartala after it touched down at a higher than normal speed 2,775 feet from the threshold; however, none of the passengers or crew members died. The airplane was later written off.[12]

Development and expansion
An IndiGo Airbus A320 aircraft parked in the apron of Agartala airport

Airports Authority of India (AAI) decided to upgrade the airport to international standards, which will be the third international airport in North-East region after Guwahati and Imphal. The AAI has undertaken ₹438 crore (US$61 million) project to upgrade the airport to provide world-class facilities. The State Government has already provided 72 acres (29 ha) land to AAI to build new terminal building, runway and other necessary infrastructure. The upgradation is expected to be completed by mid-2025, out of which the new terminal is almost completed as of December 2021, and is expected to become operational from early 2022.[13] After becoming operational, flights from Agartala to Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and likely to Singapore will be operated.[14]

The airport's new terminal

See also

References
  1. "Annexure III - Passenger Data" (PDF). www.aai.aero. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  2. "Annexure II - Aircraft Movement Data" (PDF). www.aai.aero. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  3. "Annexure IV - Freight Movement Data" (PDF). www.aai.aero. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. "Change of name of Agartala Airport" (PDF). EGazette. Government of India. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  5. "Agartala Airport to be named after Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore". The Hindu. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  6. Deb, Debraj (30 October 2017). "Agartala airport to be named after king". Telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  7. "Agartala airport renamed Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, after Tripura's last king". cnbctv18.com. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  8. "Civil Airport Agartala". airportsindia.org.in. Archived from the original on 5 November 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  9. Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
  10. "Air India Starts Non-stop Flight Agartala - Delhi Route". UNI India. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  11. "Air India Timetable". Air India. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  12. Ranter, Harro. "Agartala-Singerbhil Airport profile - Aviation Safety Network". www.aviation-safety.net.
  13. "Tripura : MBB Airport's New-Terminal Building Will Be Commissioned Soon". Northeast Today. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  14. "Tripura likely to get international flights to Singapore, Chittagong, Dhaka - newkerala.com". www.newkerala.com. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
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